The mother of a Burnham-on-Sea man fatally stabbed while at a hostel for people with mental health problems has questioned the care he received.

Robert Cox, 24, was stabbed to death at a hostel in Bishopston, Bristol, by 42-year-old Derek Hancock in August 2013.

Mr Hancock was jailed in 2014 after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The family of Mr Cox called for an inquest to determine whether more could have been done to protect their son and concluded that a more "joined up" approach was needed for the care of vulnerable adults - but thanked Avon and Somerset Police for their honesty after it emerged their call handler had told his killer 'its up to you' when he called the force.

That inquest found that Hancock's mental health problems "were not recognised or understood" before the stabbing at the hostel run by the Home Group.

It was also revealed that Mr Hancock, who suffered from paranoia and delusional behaviour, rang Avon and Somerset Police three times prior to the attack to complain about Mr Cox who he claimed had harassed and sexually assaulted him.

These accusations were found to be untrue.

He spoke to Susan Akerman who told him police would deal with it, but later said "…that's entirely up to you Derek", after Mr Hancock had claimed that the "law is not doing anything" before threatening to take the law into his own hands.

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At Mr Cox's inquest, Ms Akerman said she did not know Hancock had mental health issues and had no relevant training.

She also said she dealt with three or four similar calls a day from members of the public using similar language to Hancock.

She was dismissed from the force following an internal disciplinary hearing in 2014.

A police spokesman confirmed: "This matter has been the subject of a serious case review, an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation and coronial proceedings, which we've fully participated in.

"We're committed to ensuring relevant lessons are captured and implemented."

It is believed that the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) have concluded that Ms Akerman could have a case to answer over her "advice" to Hancock, but that her actions did not contribute to Mr Cox's death.

It has also been suggested she may have given them false and misleading information in the subsequent investigation, which she denied.

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The Police Complaints Commission has confirmed its investigation has finished and the findings will be published later this week.

Following the conclusion of the inquest on April 6, the family of Robert Cox released a statement expressing their gratitude to the police for their cooperation and honesty over the events that happened on the night he died.

They were however, critical of the Home Group and The Avon and Wiltshire Partnership Trust (AWP) – the organisation that cares for people with mental health conditions in Bristol – who they claim could have done more to ensure the safety of their son.

The full statement reads: "Robert was a much loved son, brother, uncle, cousin and father to two children who adored him.

"His family would like to thank the Avon and Somerset Police, who have been open and forthright about their involvement on the night, and the positive steps they have taken to improve their service, also the jury for their input over the 10 days and their perceptive and intelligent narrative conclusion.

"The family is disappointed that Home Group who were responsible for the safe care of Robert and Mr Hancock did not, in our opinion, keep either of them safe. Their lack of transparency during the inquest and failure to retain records at the time is a concern. The Avon and Wiltshire Partnership who were responsible for mental health patients in Bristol let Mr Hancock down and in turn let Robert down.

"The Avon Senior Coroner's decision to narrow the scope of the inquest and withhold important evidence has meant that an opportunity to learn lessons has been lost. Prior to the inquest an investigation took place and the Serious Case Review was deemed not fit for purpose.

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"The lack of care of both men, leading to Robert's death, has highlighted failings where there is multi agency care. There needs to be a joined up approach to care of vulnerable adults and unlike the coroner, we believe, there is more work to be done to prevent future deaths.

"Finally, we would like to thank Robert's legal team at Clarke Willmott and Ms Gollop who were diligent in their task and all our family and friends who have supported us over the last four years."

The Home Group and AWP were sympathetic to the family over the loss of their loved-one, but pointed to the coroners verdict that said there were no urgent changes to be made.

Carol Harrowell, head of client services for the Home Group, said: "Robert Cox's death was a tragedy which shocked our staff and clients. Our thoughts continue to be with his loved ones.

"Robert's death could not have been predicted. We carried out risk assessments and Derek Hancock had no history of attacking others. All people providing evidence at this inquest said they did not assess Derek as posing a risk to others. It is clear the full extent of Derek's mental illness had not been diagnosed.

"We note the verdict and that the coroner did not have any recommendations."

The Trust claims that Mr. Cox was not using their services at the time of his death.

A spokesperson added: "We offer our sincere condolences to the family of Robert Cox.

"The independent experts made no criticism of the care that the Trust provided to either Mr Cox or Mr Hancock.

"The Coroner was satisfied as to the improvements that have been made (and are ongoing) to the extent that she did not consider it necessary to issue a preventing death ."

In December 2014, Hancock was sentenced to life imprisonment and was ordered to serve a minimum tariff of four years and nine months in accordance with the Mental Health Act.